welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo. a japanese government official says it's time to be more hands-on in cleaning up after the fukushima nuclear accident. chief cabinet secretary yoshida suga said state efforts could include paying for work to remove radioactive material from soil and to decommission plants. >> translator: the previous government led by the democratic

party chose to have tokyo electric power company respond to the accident on its own. even though the government could have taken charge of some of the work. it's high time to review the policy for recovery efforts. >> a task force from the main governing liberal democratic party came up with a set of proposals last week. it suggests that after current decontamination plans are carried out, the government could finance further cleanup efforts through a public works project. the task force is also calling for a greater government role in decommissioning damaged reactors, providing facilities for storing contaminated soil, and addressing the problem of tainted water leaks. engineers at japan's damaged nuclear plant spend hours every day trying to get a complex network of pipes, cylinders and filters to work. the advance liquid processing system, a.l.p.s., is designed to remove most radioactive substances from contaminated water at fukushima daiichi.

the government is spend $150 million to upgrade the system. we look at how a.l.p.s. would be used to tackle one of the biggest problems at the facility. >> reporter: officials with plant operator tokyo electric power company say about 400 tons of groundwater seeps into the reactor buildings every day and gets contaminated. tepco workers have built nearly 1,000 tanks to store the tainted water. but they filled 90% of them. about 440,000 tons of waste water is being stored in the tanks and in the basements of some buildings. another 15,000 tons has accumulated in underground tunnels. last march, 10 poe engineers started running a.l.p.s. on a trial basis. it can remove 62 radioactive substances from water. but it can fill tour out

tritium. the system has five operational lines. it can treat 500 tons of water a day at full capacity. but a.l.p.s. has been dogged by a series of malfunctions that forced engineers to shut it down. in june, some pretreated radioactive water leaked from the system's stainless steel tanks. salt and chemicals had eroded the containers, leaving small holes. and in september, engineers halted a test run because of human error. a worker had left a rubber mat inside a tank following an inspection and the mat clogged the drain. >> tepco managers and government leaders are pinning their hopes on a.l.p.s. we outline the challenges they face. >> some of the problems with a.l.p.s. result from malfunctions. others happen because of human

error. about 3,000 people work at the plant every day. some contractors. they don't have good enough communication with tepco staff. this poor communication results in mistakes. managers need to fix it urgently. right now, workers are testing the system and they say they hope to put it into full operation next year. the government is helping tepco install a more sophisticated system to run in parallel. once they're complete the systems together will be able to treat 1,500 tons of water every day. tritium is similar to hydrogen in terms of its physical properties.

it moves easily with water. so if you get tritium inside our bodies we generally do it with fluids. but there's no technology for taking tritium out of water. still, the government allows higher releases of tritium than strontium. some experts say water containing tritium can be released without harming the environment. as long as the substance is diluted. water treated by a.l.p.s. will still be stored in tanks for the time being. no one has come up with a permanent solution. radioactive substances removed by a.l.p.s. will also be stored on-site. managers have not decided where they will dispose of those substances either.

once a.l.p.s. is in full operation, the next big challenge will be dealing width the tritium it cannot remove. and managers will need to choose the final disposal sites for the treated water. people from japan, china, and south korea have seen some troubled times lately in relations among their countries. they've heard their leaders argue over territory and history. deputy foreign ministers from the three nations are trying to find some areas where they can work together. shinsuke sugiyama of japan, and lee kyung-soo of south korea are scheduled to meet on thursday in seoul. they're expected to discuss north korea's nuclear program. and they want to talk about rescheduling a summit. the leaders of the three countries meet every year, usually in may. but the disagreements over territorial and historical issues forced them to put it off this year.

the diplomats are expected to discuss whether they can hold the summit before the end of this year. russian officials have simplified their visa application process for japanese citizens looking to visit the country. the move is apparently aimed at promoting business exchanges between the two nations. under the new arrangements, the time required for a japanese passport holder to obtain a visa to russia has been halved from a month to about two weeks. visa seekers who work in fields such as business, education, and culture no longer have to submit invitation letters issued by the russian government. multiple entry visas will also be extended from one to three years. the number of japanese firms that have made inroads into russia has more than doubled in the last ten years. and the japanese foreign ministry says it expects that trend to gather speed. iran's supreme leader

has backed his president's push for nuclear negotiations. 8 toll ayatollah khomenei warned hard-liners not to accuse president rouhani of compromising with the united states. he recalled the seizure in 1979 of the u.s. embassy in iran. he said young irann called the embassy a den of spies. he said they were ahead of their time after recent allegations about u.s. intelligence activities. but he said no one should consider iranian negotiators as compromisers. they'll resume nuclear talks on thursday with their counterparts from six world powers, including the u.s. >> translator: these negotiators are on a difficult mission, and they're giving their utmost effort to it. >> president rouhani has worked to ease relations with the west

since he took office in august. he wants to reach a nuclear deal that would include an end to sanctions that have hurt the iranian economy. but hardliners have accused him of being soft on the u.s. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has suggested he sees signs of a return to democracy in egypt. he made his first visit there since the army removed president mohamed morsi from power in july. kerry is trying to repair relations hurt by a partial freeze of u.s. aid. he met with the foreign minister in cairo. kerry said he believes democracy is crucial for stability and growth. >> we support you in this tremendous transformation that you are undergoing. >> they met a day before former president morsi goes on trial. last year morsi became egypt's first democratically elected president. now he faces charges of inciting violence and complicity in the

deaths of prisoners. his supporters in the muslim brotherhood say they're planning to protest when the court proceedings get going later on monday. kerry called on the leaders of the group and security forces to exercise restraint. kerry is heading to israel to try to push the middle east peace process forward. israeli leaders have made his work more difficult even before he arrives. they have approved plans to build more homes for jewish settlers in occupied palestinian territory. the israelis issued tenders for the construction of more than 1,700 homes in the occupied west bank and east jerusalem. and they just announced plans to build another 1,500 housing units. united nations officials say the settlements are a violation of international law. the palestinians want the land for a future palestinian state. they resumed peace negotiations with the israelis in july. they've long looked upon the settlements as an obstacle to

resolving the conflict. israeli leaders released 26 palestinian inmates last week in a gesture of goodwill. that angered right-wing politicians within the israeli government. many see the announcement of the new settlements as an attempt to appeals the hardliners. diplomats are trying to bring representatives of the government and the opposition together for a peace conference but they've been unable to get both sides to agree to the geneva talks. like in any conflict, the most vulnerable victims are the children. emergency coordinators at the united nations children's fund are warning of a lost generation. >> reporter: an estimated 3 million children inside syria have been affected by the civil war. unicef officials say many lack

safe drinking water, health care, and education. two out of three children have had to leave school. more than 1 million have fled the country with their families. two out of five of those children have no access to education. cases of polio have been reported in the country's eastern province. the head of unicef's emergency coordination says they have just started an immunization campaign. but they don't know if they can reach all children. >> the most urgent right now is to access those children both inside syria and the subregion with health services, making sure those health services can go crossline to reach children wherever they are. >> reporter: the situation in syria has been steadily worsening.

with increasingly fractious opposition groups dividing the country, the number of children with no access to outside support is on the rise. but the apparently successful mission of u.n. chemical weapons inspectors inside syria have given some hope to humanitarian aid groups, including unicef. >> the importance of advocating with those that have influence on the parties of the conflict to allow access for humanitarian aid workers. the chemical weapons inspection team that have been able to access 18 sites inside syria for the pumps of chemical weapons inspection. we as humanitarians need that same access. there are population trapped in down up to homes, in downtown aleppo, in parts of rural damascus that need our support now. if it's accessible to the chemical weapons inspection team, it should be accessible to

humanitarian workers. >> reporter: he says the international community should also be aware of the long-term consequences of the conflict. he says a chronic crisis is unfolding. >> if we don't take steps now to get them back into school, the 2 million children i mentioned that have dropped out inside syria, 500,000 outside syria, then they will not be in a position to help rebuild the country in the future when they become the adults of the future. it's extremely important that we do everything possible today to focus not only on life-saving needs which are critical, but also on education and protection so that we don't have a lost generation. >> unicef had started a back to school campaign for children in and out of syria. chaiban says providing school education for all syrian children must be a goal, even

amid the conflict. he calls for all sides to exempt schools from violence, creating a safe haven for children that need a sense of normalcy. nhk world, tokyo. some small vehicles are expected to make a big impact at the tokyo motor show. enthusiasts will get a glimpse of the latest mini cars when the exhibition starts later this month. drivers in japan don't have to pay as much in tax when they buy mini cars. and the vehicles get good mileage. engineers from honda roll out a prototype of the first sports car in the category in 20 years.

the seats are lower to the ground. the designers say that and other features give drivers a better sense of the car's speed. their competitors at daihatsu will unveil a sports car that has interchangeable hoods of different colors. engineers from suzuki will show off something people don't usually see on the road, mini sport utility vehicle. carmakers say they're using the new models to attract younger drivers. for 100 people from an abandoned island off nagasaki in southwestern japan have returned to their former school for a dramatic reunion. hashima island is also known as battleship island due to its unusual shape. japanese government officials plan to recommend it as a unesco world cultural heritage site. about 120 former students attended the reunion at the site of their old elementary and

junior high school on monday. the island was once home to more than 5,000 people. but all residents left after the local coal mine closed in 1974. some of the ex-students were visiting for the first time in almost 40 years. >> translator: i can't believe we actually had a sports day here. it's full of memories and mixed emotions. >> the alumni association says it plans to work hard to pass on the story of life on the island to future generations. a man from a remote mountainous region in central japan has been honored by queen elizabeth ii. he has spent decades working to remember british prisoners of war who died in the area during world war ii. he's also on a mission to strengthen international friendship.

>> reporter: toji is the 67-year-old owner of a market in the central prefecture of mia. on monday he was in tokyo to receive an honorary member of the british empire medal. the recognition comes for his 20 year long drive to help former british p.o.w.s visit japan and for forging friendship between the two countries. >> a very special occasion being given to a very special person who has made a special contribution to relations between our two countries. >> reporter: toward the end of world war ii, in 1944, about 300 allied soldiers were brought here in this remote area of mie. they had to work in the copper mine. the town of kiwa now has a little over 1,000 residents. but it was once a thriving mining community.

p.o.w.s captured in southeast asia were transferred to an internment camp just a year before japan surrendered. some were already sick with tropical diseases. food was scarce in japan and working conditions were dismal. before the war ended, 16 soldiers had died. a memorial was erected in the 1980s. since then, locals who remember the war have looked after the site. they regularly clean it and leave flowers. in 1994, a group of british survivors returned to the site. toji decided to organize the first joint memorial ceremony. george street, who was 78 at the time, was along those who

finally found some solace half a century after the war. >> there are people still have a dislike. but that can't last forever. must end sometime. and if they could all come like this, well they can't, but if they could all come to a thing like this, it would hasten the time. >> reporter: toji didn't stop there. he set up a local international exchange association and took groups of high school students to britain, australia, and thailand to learn about past war experiences. and to make friends abroad. ♪ last month saw the 20th memorial ceremony. people who experienced the war were among the participants. >> translator: the british were very gentlemanly. i remember watching them work g

working -- walking in the street in a very orderly manner. >> translator: i would never want to see another war. while looking after this site i always wish for a peaceful world. >> reporter: the annual memorial ceremony has now evolved into a friendship event between britain and japan with people from both sides joining in. toji says he wants to show young people that even out of bad experiences, friendship can grow. >> translator: i would like to continue, if i can, and pass the baton to younger generations. those who supported us, who experienced the war, aren't going to be here much longer.

>> reporter: toji and the local elders say they will stick to their task and keep looking after the memorial as long as they can. there's a tropical storm near the marshall islands heading towards the philippines. our meteorologist has been following the situation will be robert? >> gene, this is tropical storm haian. it's over open ocean, clear out here toward the east. this very well could be the next dangerous storm system on tap later on this week. for now what we have is several areas out here across much of the tropics. actually have the remnants of crosa spinning toward the south of hong kong, drifting southwest. what we're seeing this is vertical wind shear shearing it off toward the northeast. what we have is widespread cloud cover across much of western japan, even some rain showers in place as well. this high pressure has been dominating toward the northwest and that's really what we're

seeing out here as well. farther toward the south, the tropical depression still brings some scattered showers around vietnam. toward the philippines another tropical depression. this one not named at this time. you can see it's very disorganized. a big band of cloud cover. but these scattered showers are going to be bringing some rain showers out here. bringing that risk of flooding, landslides. then later on into the week, talk about midweek, this very well could become a named tropical system and then push out there towards southern vietnam, bringing home showers with it as well. definitely want to watch this. like i said, it's haian that's the big threat with this. first very well could potentially impact areas out here, a couple of small islands, 10,000 people on them. but then as it pushes past there, we potentially could be seeing a violent typhoon by friday, making landfall here along the east coast, southern luzon, manila seeing rough weather out of this. definitely want to watch this. you can see extended rain, heavy

rainfall coming toward this area as well. so there is that very serious risk of flooding. going through the rest of the week, we'll continue to keep an eye on that. let's talk about what's going on in the americas. at this time we have a strong low pressure area pushing through central canada bringing snowfall out here. in areas you could be seeing 25 centimeters. cold, snowy travel conditions, rather hazardous. a cold front attached to that in the northern plains. seeing rough conditions as well. slippery driving conditions actually because through the overnight hours we're going to be seeing some rain showers. that could freeze to the surfaces of roads here. that cold front's extending south. what we are seeing, sonia made landfall, a lot of moisturing being pulled northeast fuelling in on that front that's going to be bringing rainfall there into portions of succession and the deep south. for your temperatures, what i want to show you is the low temperatures out here on monday. because it is going to be chilly. toronto minus 2 for your low. new york at 4. take a look at atlanta.

4 only for the low here. if you're heading out in the early morning hours, wear a jacket and bundle up, it's going to be chilly. even denver just at minus 3 there on your monday. let's take a look over towards europe where we have -- if you're traveling out of western europe, do yourself a favor, check in ahead of time. make sure your flights are on schedule. because you have several areas of low pressure out here that are creating all sorts of hazardous weather. one over the scandinavian peninsula, bringing rain and snow in the higher elevations. rain and also snow in the alps due to low pressure moving toward the balkans. and then we have a little bit of a break, but another very violent system comes in from the west. what that's going to be bringing not as bad weather as last week but this could be bringing 100 kilometer per hour winds here by midweek. that's a look at your world weather. here's your extended forecast.

people from north america to

africa have craned their necks for a rare view in the sky. they witnessed a solar eclipse something that looked like a ring of fire. it's what's known as the hybrid annular total eclipse. it started as an annular eclipse, then over africa it changed to a total eclipse of the sun. people flocked to gatherings in several places in nigeria. many participants wore safety glasses to watch the sun disappear little by little. >> actually, i was very much excited. actually my first time to observe something like this. >> solar eclipses occur when the moon comes directly between the earth and the sun. in rare hybrid eclipses the moon completely blocks the sun at some times and at others leaves a solar ring. the next hybrid eclipse won't take place for another ten years. that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

[no audio]-- for mahmoud trial morsi is adjourned till january. they are being moved to cairo's notorious prison. france's foreign minister pays tribute from dissertation -- from our sister station killed in mali. lemaitre wins france's most prestigious book prize. prix goncourt.